The government says 961 Maoists have surrendered, but less than 60 former rebels live at the Dhakaltar rehabilitation centre in Tanahu (see pic above). Where are the rest? When the government announced amnesty for Maoists who gave up arms six months ago, a large number of Maoists from 68 districts reportedly surrendered. The largest number were from Lamjung, the least from Gorkha. The government even extended the amnesty from February to June.

So far, only an insignificant number of senior Maoists have given themselves up. Most may not even have been Maoists at all, but ordinary villagers. The economic aid promised by the government was a possible incentive, with Rs 200,000 for rebels with 81mm mortars and a minimum of Rs 400 for number 66 plastic hand grenades. The Home Ministry does not have any record of how many Maoists handed over arms and ammunition. Media reports show that only a few surrendered with arms. The only guns brought in were SLRs. The senior Maoist leaders who surrendered are still in detention. Ex-Maoist brigade commanders like Hom Prakash Shrestha and others have not been sent to the rehabilitation centre. The government has also not fulfilled its promise to find foreign employment for Maoists who surrendered. Prachanda called this government strategy a humiliating program to conceal its defeat and threatened those who surrendered. Now we are more at risk from our own cadre than the security forces, says Ananda B Shahi, a former eastern military commander. The Maoists confiscated his property and house in Dailekh when he gave himself up to the security forces.